Hydroxyl generator

ABSTRACT

Superior hydroxyls are provided which have effects on organic and inorganic compounds and/or pollutants over substantial periods of time and/or at substantial distances from where the superior hydroxyls are generated. Also provided is a hydroxyl generator, in which UV-lamps are positioned such that the coronas which they produce when emitting UV-radiation fill substantially all of the interior space of the hydroxyl generator. The coronas overlap each other by a maximum amount of between 5% and 25% of the radius of each corona.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Hydroxyls are molecules of chemical formula O—H which exist in natureand typically are formed by the interaction of ultraviolet (UV)radiation and atmospheric water vapor:H₂O+UV-radiation→H+OH

Hydroxyls are very reactive, and therefore are usually short-lived, asthey react with compounds around them. This reactivity makes hydroxylsexcellent “scavengers” for compounds which act as pollutants, such asbacteria, viruses, mold, radon, odorous compounds, VOC's (volatileorganic compounds), poisonous gases, and thousands of other compounds.

In nature, hydroxyls are formed by solar generated UV-radiation, andtherefore are only formed outdoors. Hydroxyls can also be createdindoors by artificially generated UV-radiation having wavelengths of170-270 nm. UV-radiation of this wavelength is also capable ofindependently decontaminating airstreams of certain particles.Therefore, prior art devices have been constructed which funnelairstreams through banks of UV-radiation for the purpose of cleansingthe air. Such devices are shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. No.5,935,525, and U.S. Patent Publication No. 2001/0043887, the disclosureof which is incorporated by reference.

Such devices are taught to be useful for purifying air. However, theysuffer from the drawback that they can only purify air which is drawn orblown through the device—that is, in direct proximity to theUV-radiation sources—which limits their effectiveness in large indoorsettings, such as in a warehouse. Moreover, the need to bring the dirtyair in close proximity to the UV-radiation source, limits the ability ofthe devices to disinfect the surfaces of objects located even shortdistances away from them. For example, prior art devices, if operatingin a warehouse suffering from fire damage, would not be able todeodorize cardboard boxes which had absorbed smoke from the fire.

Therefore, there is a need for an improved device which generateshydroxyls which are, and whose effects are, relatively long-lived, andwhich can be used to purify large volumes of air and objects which comeinto contact with that air.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore, an object of the invention to provide an improvedhydroxyl generator.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a method of producinghydroxyls by using the improved hydroxyl generator.

It is still a further object of the invention to provide superiorhydroxyls, as hereinafter defined.

It is a further object of the invention to provide superior hydroxylsproduced using the improved hydroxyl generator.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a method ofdisinfecting air by generating hydroxyls using the improved hydroxylgenerator and injecting the hydroxyls into the air.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a method ofdeodorizing air by generating hydroxyls using the improved hydroxylgenerator and injecting the hydroxyls into the air.

It is a further object of the invention to provide methods fordeodorizing and/or disinfecting objects located outside of the deviceusing the superior hydroxyls of the invention, including the surfaces ofsuch objects and the interior sections of porous objects.

These and other objects of the invention are achieved as outlined inthis application.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention provides an improved hydroxyl generator, comprising

-   -   (A) a housing having an interior surface and an exterior        surface, the interior surface defining an interior space having        one or more apertures to permit the entrance and exit of air        into the interior space; and    -   (B) a plurality of UV-lamps, each of which creates a corona when        generating UV-radiation, the corona having a radius,    -   wherein the coronas from the plurality of lamps fill        substantially all of the interior space of the housing,    -   and further wherein the coronas of adjacent UV-generating lamps        overlap each other by an amount sufficient to generate superior        hydroxyls. Preferably, the overlap is a maximum amount of        between 5% and 25% of the radius of the corona.

The invention is also directed to a method of producing hydroxylscomprising activating the UV-lamps of the hydroxyl generator of theinvention to generate UV-radiation, and passing air through the interiorspace of the hydroxyl generator.

The invention is further directed to the superior hydroxyls producedwith the hydroxyl generator of the invention. These superiorhydroxyls—and their effects—are particularly long-lasting compared tohydroxyls produced using prior art methods, and therefore can be used indifferent—and more effective—ways.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic, overhead view of a UV-lamp as used in thisinvention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic, overhead view of the arrangement of the UV-lampsin the hydroxyl generator of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective, cut away view of a hydroxyl generator accordingto the invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective, cut away view of a hydroxyl generator accordingto the invention showing a rack of UV-lamps partially removed from thedevice.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The UV-radiation used to generate the hydroxyls comes from UV-lamps.These UV-lamps are available commercially from numerous sources.Preferably, the UV-lamps are quartz lamps rather than glass lamps.Preferably, at least some of the UV-lamps used in this hydroxylgenerator of the invention provide UV-radiation having a wavelength ofabout 185 nm, as this is the most efficient wavelength for generatinghydroxyls. UV-lamps generating UV-radiation having a wavelength of 254nm are also useful for direct treatment of air inside the hydroxylgenerator, but at least some of the UV-lamps should generateUV-radiation with a wavelength of about 185 nm. It is also preferredthat the UV lamps be surrounded by a protective sleeve. The protectivesleeve should be transparent to the UV-radiation generated by the lamp.A preferred sleeve is made of a material known as double virgin quartz.Protective sleeves are generally available from manufacturers ofUV-lamps.

In many applications, the UV-lamp will have a linear shape but, as willbe discussed in more detail below, it can also bent or curved.

As used in this application, the term “superior hydroxyls” meanshydroxyls whose effects persist for a substantial period of time and/orcan be observed at a substantial distance from the hydroxyl generator.Prior art hydroxyls were only effective on air which was directlyadjacent to the UV-lamps. By contrast, the superior hydroxyls of theinvention can destroy volatile organic compounds (VOC's) at a distanceof more than 10 feet away from the generator, preferably more than 30feet away, and most preferably more than 50 feet away, and for a periodof time of at least 1 minute after the generator is turned off, morepreferably at least 3 minutes after, more preferably at least 5 minutesafter, and most preferably more than 10 minutes.

The superior hydroxyls and/or the effects of the superior hydroxyls ofthe invention can be transported over substantial distances by movingair, the air being moved by conventional equipment, such as fans andblowers.

The generation of superior hydroxyls can be detected as follows: A fixedamount of volatile organic compounds of known composition is introducedinto an enclosed space of fixed volume. The concentration of VOC's inthe space is measured immediately and then measured every 2 minutes fora period of twenty minutes. If the enclosed space is very large, theintervals between measurements can be increased, for example to 5 or 10minutes, as can the total time. The concentration of VOC's is measuredusing commercially available devices, such as those available from theDräger Corporation. This procedure establishes a control VOC degradationcurve.

A hydroxyl generator is then operated for a period of two minutes,inside the enclosed space used for the control. At the end of that time,the generator is turned off, followed by injection into the space of thesame fixed amount of VOC's—and the same composition—as used in thecontrol. The concentration of VOC's in the enclosed volume is thenmeasured immediately, and then re-measured every two minutes for aperiod of twenty minutes total. If the concentration of VOC's at any ofthe measuring times is more than 10% below the corresponding control,then it is known that superior hydroxyls were created. It should benoted that use of the hydroxyl generator described as part of thisinvention will generate VOC concentrations from 15% to 40% or more belowthe corresponding control.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic, overhead view of a UV-lamp and sleeve used inthe invention. The outside of the lamp 1 is shown as a circle, withsleeve 2 disposed concentrically around it. If lamp 1 is activated andis generating UV-radiation, it will also generate a “corona.” As used inthis application, “corona,” means the halo which may be observed arounda UV-lamp when the lamp is operating and generating UV-radiation andphotographed with any commercially available infra-red camera, whichmeasures radiation in the near-infrared region of 700-900 nm. The natureof this corona is not precisely understood, but it is plainly visibleusing the methods described herein. Without wishing to be bound bytheory, it is believed the corona results from photo-energy given off byreactions taking place due to the interaction of the UV radiation withthe molecules in the airstream passing by the UV-lamps.

The outer edges of the corona are shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 by brokencircle 3. Corona 3 has a radius r which may be measured from the center4 of lamp 1 to the edge of corona 3.

In practice, a person of skill in the art will be able to determine theradius of the corona for a given lamp by taking infra-red photographs ofa number of different samples of the lamp. Using these photographs, thesize of the corona—in particular its radius, as measured from the centerof the UV-lamp—can be measured and averaged over the entire line oflamps.

Using this information, a plurality of lamps are arranged inside ahousing so that the coronas of the UV-lamps overlap. The housing has anexterior surface and an interior surface. The interior surface of thehousing defines an interior space. When the UV-lamps are operating, thecoronas from the UV-lamps fill substantially all of the volume of theinterior space. By “substantially all”, what is meant is at least 75%,preferably 85%, more preferably 95%, more preferably 97%, and mostpreferably 99%, of the total volume of the interior space. In somepreferred embodiments, 100% of the volume of the interior space isfilled with coronas from the UV-lamps.

Alternatively, a single UV-lamp can be used inside the housing, either astraight, curved, or bent lamp, which is positioned inside a housing sothat its corona fills substantially all of the interior space of thathousing.

The UV-lamps are positioned such that when air is passed through thegenerator in which the UV-lamps are operating, superior hydroxyls aregenerated. Preferably, the lamps are positioned such that theirrespective coronas only overlap each other by a maximum amount ofbetween 5% and 25% of the radius of the corona. An example of thisarrangement is shown in FIG. 2, which is a schematic, overhead view ofthe arrangement of the UV-lamps in the hydroxyl generator of theinvention. In FIG. 2, a plurality of UV-lamps 1 are shown, eachsurrounded by a sleeve 2, and producing a corona 3. The UV-lamps arelocated within housing 5, which defines an interior space 6. The coronas3 of the lamps 1 substantially fill all of the interior space 6. Thehousing is designed so that air can pass through the housing, forexample in the direction indicated by the arrow marked A→B.

A perspective view of a hydroxyl generator according to the invention isshown in FIG. 3. UV-lamp/protective sleeve combinations 10 are arrangedinside a housing 11. Air is directed into the interior of the housingthrough side A by any conventional air moving means (not shown) when theUV-lamps are activated. Preferably, at least the first row 13 ofUV-lamps generates UV-radiation having a wavelength of 185 nm. Thisprovides for the generation of large amounts of hydroxyls, which arecarried in the airstream towards side B of the generator. Withoutwishing to be bound by theory, it is believed that as the hydroxyls passthrough the hydroxyl generator from side A to side B, they gain more andmore energy; when the hydroxyls exit the generator at side B, they havebecome “superior hydroxyls.”

It has been found that increasing the number of lamps in a singlegenerator geometrically increases the effectiveness of the hydroxylscreated by the hydroxyl generator. That is, an 8-lamp generator will be,all things being otherwise equal, more than twice as effective as a4-lamp generator.

Air can be fed through the hydroxyl generator by conventional air movingdevices (not shown in the drawings), such as, for example, but notlimited to, fans, pumps, blowers, etc. Baffles and other physicalstructures may also be used to regulate how long it takes air to passthrough the housing. Preferably, air will be present inside the housingfor a period of at least 170 milliseconds, more preferably at least 250milliseconds, and most preferably at least 340 milliseconds.

In a preferred embodiment, each UV-lamp is cylindrical and has anexterior diameter of ¾ of an inch, and is surrounded by a cylindricalsleeve with an interior diameter of 1 inch and an exterior diameter of1⅛ inches. In the preferred embodiment, the UV-lamp produces a coronawith a diameter of 3¾ inches, and the lamps are positioned such thattheir centers are 3 inches apart, and 1½ inches from the inside surfaceof the housing. Preferably, the UV-lamps are positioned in rows, witheach row being slightly offset from the immediately adjacent rows, asmay be seen in FIG. 3.

The housing need not be made of a single piece of material, but may becomposed of two or more pieces which fit closely together so as todefine an interior space. An example of this type of design is shown inFIG. 3. Rows 13 of UV-lamps may be located on removable racks 14, asshown in FIG. 4. When the removable racks are lowered into position,they serve to define the housing.

Preferably, the interior surface of the housing is reflective ofUV-radiation. In one preferred embodiment, the interior surface of thehousing is made of aluminum, more preferably unpolished aluminum.

The hydroxyl generator may optionally include a means for impartinghumidity in the air. The means for imparting humidity can be integral tothe housing, or it can be detachably attached to the housing. The meansfor imparting humidity is used when the ambient humidity is extremelylow, such that there is essentially no water vapor in the air.Preferably, the means for imparting humidity is used when the ambientrelative humidity is lower than 5%, more preferably when the ambienthumidity is lower than 10%, and most preferably when the ambienthumidity is lower than 15%. When the ambient humidity is higher that15%, it is generally not necessary to use the means for impartinghumidity. The means for imparting humidity is conventional, and is knownas a water curtain.

Another aspect of the present invention is a process for creatinghydroxyls with the improved hydroxyl generator described above. In thismethod, the UV-lamps of the hydroxyl generator of the invention areactivated to generate UV-radiation, and moist air is passed through theinterior space of the hydroxyl generator. By “moist air,” we mean airwith sufficient water vapor to form hydroxyls. Preferably moist air hasat least 5% ambient humidity, more preferably 10% ambient humidity, andmost preferably at least 15% humidity. If necessary, the ambient airwhich is passed through the generator is humidified using a means forimparting humidity. Preferably, the air is resident in the interiorspace of the generator for at least 170 milliseconds.

The invention also comprises a method of disinfecting and/or deodorizingair, which comprises the steps of generating hydroxyls using thehydroxyl generator of the invention and then distributing the hydroxylsover the space to be disinfected and/or deodorized using air movingequipment, such as fans or blowers. For example, the air around smellycommercial facilities, such as pig farms, and rendering plants can bedeodorized using the hydroxyl generators according to the invention sothat air exiting from the facility is less odorous or even odor-free.

Another use of the hydroxyl generator according to the invention is inthe deodorizing of indoor air spaces following fires, floods, or otherodor-generating activities. A further use of the hydroxyl generatoraccording to the invention is the decontamination and/or remediation ofbiological pathogens, including biological weapons, such as anthrax.

The hydroxyls created using the hydroxyl generator of this invention aresuperior hydroxyls, as defined above, and were not known prior to thisinvention. The superior hydroxyls—and their deodorizing/disinfectingeffects—are sufficiently long-lived that they can act as deodorizers anddisinfectants at distances of hundreds of feet, or even farther, fromthe generator.

In another example, following a fire in a consumer warehouse-styleretail store, the entire store, and all of the cardboard boxes in thestore containing otherwise undamaged merchandise smelled very badly ofsmoke. Hydroxyl generators according to the invention were operatinginside the store for a period of four days. At the end of that time, notonly was the smoky smell completely gone from the air, all of themerchandise, some of which was located hundreds of feet from thegenerator, was also smoke free. This could only have happened if thehydroxyls created in the generator and/or their effects were very longlived and were capable of being transported by moving air, giving themthe opportunity to be circulated throughout the store and allowed topenetrate into the merchandise.

1. A process of producing hydroxyls comprising: activating one or moreUV-lamps, each of which creates one or more coronas when generatingUV-radiation, wherein each of the coronas has a radius associatedtherewith, each of the coronas is a region of near-infrared light inproximity to a surface of the UV-lamp that is produced when the UV-lampis operating to generate UV-radiation, the one or more UV-lamps placedinside a housing having an interior surface and an exterior surface, theinterior surface defining an interior space having one or more aperturesto permit the entrance and exit of air into and out of the interiorspace; passing air through a humidifier to produce moist air, with atleast 5% ambient humidity, through the interior space of the housing;and wherein the coronas from the UV-lamps fill substantially all of theinterior space of the housing, with a positional arrangement of UV-lampsas follows: if only one UV-lamp is present, the UV-lamp is positionedrelative to the interior surface so that the distance from the lamp tothe interior surface is from 5% to 25% of the radius of the corona; andif more than one UV-lamp is present, the coronas of adjacent UV-lampsoverlap each other by a maximum amount of between 5% and 25% of theradius of the corona.
 2. The process of claim 1, wherein the moist airis within the coronas of one or more UV-lamps for a period of at least170 milliseconds.
 3. The process of claim 1, further includesdisinfecting and/or deodorizing the moist air.
 4. The process of claim3, wherein the hydroxyls are ejected from the housing and circulated inair surrounding the housing by an air moving means.
 5. A method ofdisinfecting and/or deodorizing objects, comprising: activating one ormore UV-lamps, each of which creates one or more coronas when generatingUV-radiation, wherein each of the coronas has a radius associatedtherewith, each of the coronas is a region of near-infrared light inproximity to a surface of the UV-lamp that is produced when the UV-lampis operating to generate UV-radiation, the one or more UV-lamps placedinside a housing having an interior surface and an exterior surface, theinterior surface defining an interior space having one or more aperturesto permit the entrance and exit of air into and out of the interiorspace; ejecting hydroxyls from the interior space of the housing; andmoving the hydroxyls ejected so that the hydroxyls come into contactwith an object to be disinfected; wherein the coronas from the UV-lampsfill substantially all of the interior space of the housing, with apositional arrangement of UV-lamps as follows: if only one UV-lamp ispresent, the UV-lamp is positioned relative to the interior surface sothat the distance from the lamp to the interior surface is from 5% to25% of the radius of the corona; and if more than one UV-lamp ispresent, the coronas of adjacent UV-lamps overlap each other by amaximum amount of between 5% and 25% of the radius of the corona.
 6. Themethod of disinfecting and/or deodorizing objects according to claim 5,wherein the hydroxyls ejected from the housing are circulated in airsurrounding the housing with an air moving means.
 7. The method ofdisinfecting and/or deodorizing objects according to claim 5, furthercomprising generating Superior hydroxyls, comprising hydroxyls whoseeffects on volatile organic compounds persist for a substantial periodof time.